By Paul Bibby

The repeated use of Tasers and capsicum spray by police on the prone body of Brazilian student Roberto Curti before he died on the ground was an unnecessary, excessive use of force, a court has heard.

Mr Curti, 21, died on Pitt Street, in Sydney's CBD, in the early hours of March 18, 2012, following a chase and a brief struggle with police in which he was allegedly Tasered, handcuffed, capsicum-sprayed and knelt on.

Died on the ground: Roberto Curti.

Photo: Supplied

Following an investigation by the Police Integrity Commission, Senior Constables Eric Lim and Damien Ralph were charged with common assault, and Senior Constable Scott Edmondson and Constable Daniel Barling with assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

All four have pleaded not guilty.

Mr Corti on CCTV on the night he died.

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"The Crown case is that the application of force by the use of Taser and capsicum spray after he was handcuffed and on the ground was unnecessary, excessive and therefore an unlawful use of force," prosecutor Cate Dodds said in opening the quartet's hearing in the Downing Centre District Court on Monday.

Ms Dodds described how, about 9pm the night before, Mr Curti and two friends took what they thought was LSD in the bathroom of a Hungry Jacks restaurant.

As the night wore on Mr Curti appeared to have an adverse reaction to the drug.

"Mr Curti said he was scared, was acting as if he was afraid and was saying irrational things," Ms Dodds said.

"He said he wanted to go home."

Hours later, with Mr Curti having become involved in a fight with a group of youths on George Street in which they punched and kicked him on the ground, the 21-year-old entered a convenience store, Ms Dodds said.

The court heard that the youth initially sat quietly on the floor, drinking water and eating biscuits.

However, after briefly leaving, he allegedly returned and tried to leap over the counter.

A council worker sweeping the street outside saw the man do this, and then leave the store after taking two packets of Tim Tams.

She called triple zero, Ms Dodds said, with the operator mistakenly logging the incident as an "armed robbery".

Police in the area were subsequently informed that Mr Curti was not armed, the court heard.

When Mr Curti was spotted on CCTV footage, there was a brief chase by police which allegedly ended when one of the accused officers, Senior Constable Eric Lim, Tasered the shirtless student in the back.

Mr Curti was subsequently handcuffed, Ms Dodds said, but when he attempted to roll over, he was allegedly Tasered a further eight times and sprayed with capsicum spray.

Soon after Mr Curti's heart stopped. The exact cause of his death has not been determined.

"The last use of a Taser was at 6.04am," Ms Dodds said.

"At 6.11am one of the officers made a radio call to police stating 'can you update the ambulance, this male doesn't appear to have a pulse'."